As is well known, meat keepers are used in refrigerators to preserve meat at an optimum temperature which is generally 5.degree.-8.degree. F. cooler than the rest of the refrigerated food compartment. More specifically, meat keepers preferably maintain meat at a temperature just slightly above the freezing temperature of water. In its most common form, a meat keeper defines a slide-out drawer that is approximately half the width of the refrigerated food compartment and is suspended under the top shelf of the refrigerator for convenient access. A significant disadvantage of this configuration is that if the top two shelves extend the entire width of the refrigerated food compartment, then the portion of the second shelf below the meat keeper is restricted in height. Accordingly, the space below the meat keeper is not very usable because access to the back of the second shelf is very difficult.